In a principal aspect the present invention relates to the improvement in a cabinet drawer slide of a mechanism which precludes or inhibits rebound upon closure of the telescopic channels which comprise the drawer slide.
Heretofore, various types of drawer slides have been made comprised of nested, telescoping channel members or channels which slide with respect to one another to support a drawer in a cabinet and effect drawer movement between a fully closed position and an open position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,030 discloses such a drawer slide construction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,030 is incorporated herewith by reference.
Typically, drawer slides include two or more nesting, telescoping channels or channel members. The outer or largest channel member is usually fitted against or attached to the inside of a cabinet. The remaining inner telescopic members thus are mounted and slide in the outer channel. Normally, an inner most channel is attached to the side of a drawer. When the channels are telescoped together so that they overlie each other, the drawer is in the closed position within the cabinet. When the inner channels are telescoped with respect to each other and the outer channel, they project or slide outwardly from the outer channel to support a drawer, thereby permitting access to the drawer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,030 discloses mechanisms for interlocking the sliding operation of channels associated with vertically stacked drawers to thereby prevent the opening of more than one drawer at any given time. However, closure of any single drawer to the fully closed position may result in rebound of the drawer as it moves to the closed position. Thus, it is desirable to provide some type of cushion mechanism which enables the channels to bottom out or move to a closed position in a controlled fashion and which otherwise provides cushioning of the impact resulting when channels slide together as the drawer is moved to its closed position.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a multiple channel drawer slide with an outer channel for attachment to the inside wall of a cabinet and an inner channel telescopically and slidably mounted in the outer channel and attachable to a drawer in the cabinet. The outer channel includes a base plate mounted at the inner end thereof. Attached to the base plate is a rotatable cam member. That cam member rotates in response to moving a cabinet drawer from a closed position to an open position in a fashion which will enable interaction with or control of movement of vertically adjacent drawers. Such a mechanism or construction is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,030.
With the present invention, the rotating cam member has additional functions beyond the interconnection control function of vertically adjacent drawers to prevent tipping of the cabinet by virtue of permitting only a single drawer to open at any given time. More specifically, the rotating cam member mounted on the inside of the outer channel and located on the base plate at the inside end of the outer channel includes a detent receiving slot for receiving a lug associated with the inner end of the inner channel. That lug engages the detent receiving slot and the cam member then rotates as the inner channel is moved to the fully closed position where the channel is releasably retained by virtue of the engagement of the lug with the detent receiving slot. A biasing spring located in the path of travel of the inner channel is thus engaged with the rotating cam member. More specifically, the rotating cam member includes a cam follower surface with at least two detent positions. The follower surface is engaged by the biasing member or spring. One of the detent surfaces is associated with the fully closed position of the inner channel and simultaneous rotation of the cam member to effect the lug engaging the detent receiving slot thereby releasably holding the inner channel in the fully closed position. Pulling on the inner channel to move the inner channel toward the open position will cause the lug to pull on the detent slot causing the cam member to rotate against the biasing force of the spring member positioned against the follower surface of the cam member. The shape of the cam follower surface, the strength of the spring, and the spacing and position of the spring may all be varied in order to control the retention force as well as the force required for release of the drawer slide from the closed position as it moves toward the open position. The biasing spring also serves the function of reducing rebound and damping movement of the inner channel as it is fully moved to the closed position.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved mechanism for retaining a drawer slide channel in the closed position and for controlling rebound as the drawer slide channels are moved to the closed position.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an economic and simple assembly of parts which may be utilized in combination with prior art constructions for maintaining a drawer slide assembly in a closed position and for controlling rebound as the drawer slide channels are moved to the closed position.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a stop, catch, and anti-rebound mechanism associated with the channels of a drawer slide which is easy to use, economical, rugged and adjustable.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description as follows.